Search Weight Loss Topics:




Dec 30

13 new year’s fitness resolutions from the world’s most athletic people – British GQ

Fitness Comments Off on 13 new year’s fitness resolutions from the world’s most athletic people – British GQ

What do Snoop Dogg, Jonny Wilkinson and a Buddhist monk all have in common? Why, theyve all done our fitness diary series, which turned a year old just now. (Nearly) every week, Ive interviewed a wide host of people about one thing: how they work out and what they eat over the course of a standard week. Weve spoken to Olympians and professional athletes; weve spoken to writers and actors; and, of course, the aforementioned religious figure, Haemin Sunim. Sometimes we talk more about self-care than calisthenics and sometimes these people are creatures of intense routine while others are all over the place. Its always, inevitably, fascinating.

As someone who also goes to the gym and looks after himself (or tries to), but isnt a professional athlete, you might think that hearing a model explain how often they do ab crunches might be dispiriting. Not so: every week, Im reminded that there are people who work out just as much or as little as me and the people who go really hard have made that choice because it's part of their livelihood. You have to admire the people who speak of their incredibly intense focus: "You have to sacrifice a lot in this sport if you want to be at the top. If you still want to do the sport, youve got the right mentality, explained athlete Adam Gemili. If its, Oh, let me have a little bit of chocolate now, you cant do that to be the best." Theres an odd emancipation in realising were simply not competing in the same category.

Other times, however, the advice I get is solid and achievable in everyday life. It might be youve heard some of it before, but lets not pretend were all experts at taking advice as soon as we hear it. I went back through a year of interviews to find the things that, truly, seemed to unify large swaths of the people we spoke to. Variety is the spice of life, but if you want to learn how to work out and eat like a Love Island contestant, a world-class boxer or even a darts player, read on.

While some people absolutely benefit from regularity Love Islands Michael Griffiths, for example, still commits to leg day, arm day, etc it was amazing how many people we spoke to extolled the virtues of mixing it up. I just listen to my body, said Michaels fellow Island alum Callum Macleod. I just do a conditioning session. Or if my legs are heavy Ill stay off them. Olympic hopeful Luke Dillon has a very intense workout regime, but only has core work as a constant throughout each session.

I seem to go through phases of enjoying different types of training, because I want to be as well rounded as possible, said vegan wrestler Tyler Bate, who is as interested in calisthenics as he is in lifting weights. When I feel like Ive plateaued I might move. Its a marathon not a sprint.

Chris Hemsworth and his chef Sergio Perera

Greg Funnell

Speak to anyone who cares about fitness and youll hear that nutrition is half often more than half the battle. Some have to take bulking and calorie intake to the extreme. Chris [Hemsworth] has to eat a lot when hes adding muscle, explained Thor's personal chef, who seems to spend every hour of every day feeding the actor chicken, tuna, protein shakes or amino acids. Similarly, Made In Chelsea alum Josh Patterson had to eat 10,000 calories per day when training to ride a racing wheelchair from one end of the country to another. I basically have a free pass to eat whatever I want, as long as I eat sufficient carbs around the workout, which can be peanut butter, cookie dough, brownies, he explained. But the fact he has to eat consistently every couple of hours is a bit of a killer. It isn't the most pleasurable, but at least I'm getting the calories in, he added, as he mentioned having to eat two different portions of pasta in a row.

But other people were able to give us far more useful nutritional advice. The majority of our subjects extolled the virtues of eating "overnight oats" in the morning for example. It makes sure I get enough protein in throughout the day, explained Team GB hockey goalie Maddie Hinch. Ill use chocolate protein powder in my overnight oats. I like it so much I eat it as a dessert post-dinner or within training. She was also one of multiple athletes to extoll the virtue of fajitas, further confirming my secret conspiracy theory that Old El Paso is investing in British sporting.

Others were big on fish and protein as snack food, including Hemsworth, who used to hate seafood until tuna became a major snack food in his diet. Its a great source of protein [and] a lot easier for your body to digest, explained chef Sergio Perera, who has limited Hemsworths red meat intake to daylight hours only.

Meanwhile Daniel Sobhani, founder of Freeletics, talked about his habit of pre- or post-eating: effectively, snacking on protein-high foods such as salmon or quark. When you go to restaurants and go for the healthy choice, the portion size or calorie size is not big enough for me, he explained. So instead of going for the unhealthy choice I usually go for something extra before or afterwards."

Meanwhile, F45 founder Rob Deutsch had very clear advice for what people need for a healthier diet. Sugar is the enemy, he put plainly. Having zero sugar a day is impossible, but try for under ten grams a day. It's extremely difficult but your body will transform overnight.

Greg Coleman / Red Bull Content Pool

Many professional athletes we spoke to were very keen to stress that while working hours are all about commitment and obsession, down time meant cutting all ties to the day job. When I took a break away from the sport, I realised the importance of surrounding myself with people who arent hockey players, explained Maddie Hinch. Not watching hockey, but watching a series or studying or whatever.

Im a big believer in switching off, giving myself that mental rest, explained Ospreys and Wales rugby player George North. Exeter Chiefs' Jack Nowell was the same. My girlfriend doesnt know anything about rugby shes just learned what position I play but I like it because she hears about my day and thats as far as we go with rugby talk, he said. Ive got nothing in my house to do with rugby, no shirts on the wall, because when Im at home I switch off.

In his recent book Range, David Epstein talks about the meeting of Tiger Woods and Roger Federer: the former was trained to excel in one sport his whole life and the latter found tennis after trying a few things out beforehand. Future elites usually have a 'sampling period' in which they try an array of sports, gain general skills and learn about their interests and abilities before focusing, Epstein wrote.

Not only did several of the people we spoke to only come to their current sport or exercise regime later, but many were also late to nutrition and exercise as a fundamental part of their regimen.

I didnt see the inside of a gym until I was 25," said actor Ben Barnes. "Im constantly berating myself for that after the fact because those precious 18 to 25 years, when you set the body type for the rest of your life, I ignored. I just wanted to be in plays."

When I was younger I could get away with not eating so well, but now Im travelling a lot and nutrition needs to be on point, explained surfer Luke Dillon, who has a trainer and nutritionist now hes aiming for the Olympics.

Before I was vegan I would just eat tons of minced beef and rice... That was all I knew. It was a very bro diet, wrestler Tyler Bate explained. Now, with a plant-based diet, the importance of nutrition is no longer lost on him. Ive not had any problems ever since. I feel like Ive only thrived.

One of the hardest things about being both busy and committed to a healthier lifestyle is that the two rarely go together: planes, hotels, trying to eat well when youre rushing around the city, life often seems to be conspiring against our bodies.

Many people we spoke to talked about how to work out on planes or in hotels when youre lacking any equipment or a gym nearby. "I'll put a circuit together, 15 to 20 minutes max of push-ups, sit-ups, squats, lunges, to get me feeling awake and nimble," said another Love Islander, Eyal Booker. "I always take my skipping rope with me," added Rob Deutsch. "You can use chairs for dips, use luggage, do shoulder presses or curls with it. You can do weights with chairs.

Deutsch even talked through how he works out on planes: "I get very tight hamstrings and glutes, so just a basic hip flexer and glute stretches are very important. You can do your delts and back, but you're not going to get a world-beating 45-minute stretch workout in." Michael Griffiths went even further than them when he tried to work out while trapped in the Love Island villa, with his makeshift gym equipment built out of benches and resistance bands.

Meanwhile, eating on the move was a frequent point of discussion. Some commit to making healthy choices. Others see travel as a time when you cannot, and should not, be expected to be a puritan. Im not a health fanatic if youre at home and you can cook your own food, super, but if youre on a train youre going to have a sandwich, explained Spencer Matthews.

For many people, making smaller and healthier choices during the day were tiny, but vital, improvements: When Im in other cities, if its difficult to get the workout time or I'm feeling sore, I try to walk instead of taking a cab or, if its too far away, walk part of the distance, explained Freeletics CEO Daniel Sobhani.

Generally I'll jump on a Boris bike and sprint across town and that's my exercise for the day, explained rugby legend Simon Shaw. I'm not one of those people who says, Right, I'm going to get up at this time, because that was my old life, everything was routine and you know what to do and when to do it. It all became a little bit boring for me.

If you want to take it a step further, do like Love Island alum Danny Williams and always have a gym kit with you. Ill get a message from a friend after work saying, You want to work out later? It's a situation that has, and I cannot stress this enough, never happened to me. But good for him.

Even in interviews that werent with boxers, I discovered that training to spar was a frequent part of peoples exercise regimes and often used as a way of mixing up their weeks. Actor Luke Baines and radio presenter Clara Amfo both worked it into their routines. Its all about strength and endurance, explained Amfo. I feel better for it.

If boxing isnt your thing, then several of our subjects also praised golf as a way of keeping active and varied. Any day that I get off, I usually go and play golf thats my little hobby, mentioned footballer Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. I love to go and play, depending on whos about to play with me I only like playing if I can beat someone! Luke Dillon plays on Saturdays when its recommended I do more than 10,000 steps", he explained. A round at my local course is about four miles 15,000 steps. So thats me.

Rest days are vital and taking care of yourself hugely important. "I have written in my diary, 'Sit on sofa, do nothing,'" explained DJ Tom Green. But thats not just on an emotional level: physically, rest time is really important. Several athletes I spoke to were very keen to stress they dont just want to veg out on their days off, but have to. If I do more than 10,000 steps it doesnt count as a day off, explained ultra runner Tom Evans. I have to be very careful. Ill go home, chill, use the foam roller, make sure I dont overdo my body, said gymnast Max Whitlock, for whom Fridays have to be a day of rest. If I have to go out, Ill spend more time on my legs. Sometimes, relaxation is the most effective way of maintaining your equipment.

If you find yourself going into London all day and walking around youll get tired. You have to be smart, explained Maddie Hinch. For me, sitting on the sofa all day wont help, so I might go to the gym or do a yoga session, something to keep my body moving and recovering.

Photographer: Hudson Taylor Stylist: Kyle Kagamida Hair and Make up: Shea Hardy

While I started out being most interested in workout regimens and how people eat, peoples self-care was often the most interesting thing that ended up being discussed. For some people, such as Clara Amfo and Luke Baines, this was therapy: Financially it feels like a luxury item. It can feel self-indulgent, but as someone whos dealt with depression its one of the only reasons Im still around," Baines said. Amfo also praised podcasts, while nonfiction was also big for other people. Danny from Love Island and Rob Lipsett (also, formerly, of Love Island) both spoke about how important TED talks are for their downtime.

For some people, including Jonny Wilkinson, clean eating was self care. For others, such as fellow rugby legend Simon Shaw: "I'm not going to eat something because it's good for you but tastes rubbish.

For many people, time with loved ones was vital: Daniel Sobhani has date night with his wife every week and many people take time out to be with their families. Dr Rupy Aujla said Sunday is always family day for him, "So Ill go to my parents with my sister and spend seven to eight hours at home cooking food." Boxer Daniel Dubois, meanwhile, has a family meal every day. "Were a big family. If anyones got a problem well talk about it with each other. Its very constructive in our household, very routine. We all know our job to do and we set about it every day and work hard to be the best and top of our game.

If you want fast hits, however, then two things are very easy to incorporate into your lives: Buddhist monk Haemin Sunim and F45 founder Deutsch both spoke about the value of meditation for centring themselves (perhaps thats to be expected from a monk). Meanwhile Snoop Dogg had a very logical way of looking after himself: Nothing makes me feel better like smokin a blunt after a long weekend. Once that smoke hits my body, then I can get to work.

If I had a pound for every person we spoke to who praised intermittent fasting... well, Id have five pounds at least. Weve previously written at length about how, done right, it can be hugely beneficial in keeping weight off. Rob Lipsett fasts until 12pm or 1pm each day, bar a coffee and water. Rob Deutsch mixes a bit of it into his diet and both he and Daniel Sobhani from Freeletics fast on plane journeys. Eyal Booker fasts from 8pm to 9pm until the following lunchtime. Vegan cyclist Adam Hansen fasts sometimes for whole days and engages in autophagy, a way of fasting that activates cell regeneration and pruning that has been connected to longer lifespans and improved resistance to diseases.

If youve been looking for a new way to mix up your training for a sporting event, or just your general workout regime, a few of my interviewees spoke about the power of altitude in mixing it up: boxer Joe Joyce trains up in the mountains, he says, so that, When you fight, youll be back down at sea level, so youll have a ton more red blood cells, which means you wont get tired between rounds.

Ultra runner Tom Evans also uses altitude in his training: he does a marathon-paced run for a few hours at elevation during his weekly training and then hell drop down to a lower level to run a little faster and hotter.

It means youre fresh and your mind is switched on and you can read situations and capitalise on any openings, explained Joyce.

Jude Law and Brie Larson in Captain Marvel

It can sometimes seem like the only thing worse than having a singular body ideal is having about a dozen, equally impossible but equally phenomenal body types, suggesting that theres always some way in which you could be looking amazing and you just arent doing it yet.

One of the most comforting things I heard from a good number of, admittedly universally hot, people was that, especially as actors or models, their bodies needed to look certain ways to land work and please their employers. For Danny Williams from Love Island, he became leaner because, When I first started modelling, I was getting feedback from clients that I was a bit too big. Actor Joivan Wade got a lot more ripped when he realised how it affected auditions: You do a tape, you do dialogue, but they said we need him to stand up half-naked to see what his body type is, if he's muscular enough.

Jason Walsh, who trained Brie Larson for Captain Marvel and also has trained literally everyone else put it best: There are ways of using [your body] and manipulating it to help with the character building. It's part of the character arc. It doesnt just need to be about performativity, but getting the most out of yourself in daily life: make your body the one that best serves your life and what you need it to be. "At F45 I realised what being fit really is," said Eyal Booker, explaining this very succinctly. "It's not about what you look like on the outside, but also how you feel on the inside and how your cardio impacts your training."

"I envy the people who can get up at 5am and go and get it over with by 6.30am," said actor Chace Crawford. "I've just never... It always makes me feel sick." Others, of course, were very pro an early start sometimes due to lack of choice but it was clear that it's not only morning people who can become healthy specimens.

"Early rising seems to get more and more competitive as though you acquire a special insight at the crack of dawn that I'll never be privy to or you have a discipline that makes you a more successful person," wrote author Bella Mackie in her diary. "I, on the other hand, subscribe to the theory that everything fun kicks off at about 10pm, having grown up with a father who thought a good chat about life started at about 1am."

Across the board, people told me that the best benefit from exercising is that it vastly improved their mental health. "The best natural Xanax is working out," said Chace Crawford. "It helps me sleep better, keeps me level-headed and if I stick to my routine throughout the week it's all good."

Knowing its benefits for your mental health has helped people trim other poisons out of their life in the name of feeling good. "If I am drunk I won't sleep as well and I won't go to my gym class the next day," explained Eyal Booker. "And I also know the repercussions; I've been there enough and been annoyed at myself for the rest of my day.

Of course, the self-loathing of putting too much reliance on your exercise regime can be as much of a curse as exercise is a benefit. It's about making sure you aren't your own worst critic and don't work out just to keep up with the Joneses. This was something gay men were often very open about in particular.

"There's so much self hate and body dysmorphia. It's hard being a gay man," said Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy. "I also feel like sometimes people expect me to have like an insane body because I'm an Olympian and oftentimes I don't feel that way. And I don't feel like I look the way I'm expected to look or people will think I look or whatever."

Theres nothing more compelling than hearing somebody who is both health conscious and happy at once. Bella Mackies diary remains a highlight because of the sheer number of times she balances lunges with malbec: the best diaries, nearly universally, were given by people with a sense of proportion.

Exercise is so important for my mental health: it changes any kind of mood Im in. It makes me feel optimistic after working out. But if Im having a shit day I let myself have a shit day, said Luke Baines. Ill eat food that makes me feel happy and if thats a burger, great; if its a pound of Cadbury, great; if its tequila, great. Thats the thing Ive learned: sometimes I need to be nice to myself.

From ASMR to mental health first aid: how gyms are working on your mental health

The best fitness classes in London for getting your sweat on

How to optimise your breathing during workouts

See more here:
13 new year's fitness resolutions from the world's most athletic people - British GQ

Related Posts

    Your Full Name

    Your Email

    Your Phone Number

    Select your age (30+ only)

    Select Your US State

    Program Choice

    Confirm over 30 years old

    Yes

    Confirm that you resident in USA

    Yes

    This is a Serious Inquiry

    Yes

    Message:



    matomo tracker